APUSH American Revolution - the Constitution: Late 1700s

- (1774) response to the Boston Tea Party- Boston Port Act: shut down Boston Harbor- Massachusetts Government Act: disbanded the Boston Assembly (but it soon reinstated itself)- Quartering Act: provide provisions for British soldiers- Administration of Justice Act: remove power of colonial courts to arrest royal officers

- alarm colonies: recognize Roman- Catholic Church in Quebec- taken as sign Britain planned to impose Catholicism upon the colonies- 1774

- 1774- plan for a unified colonial government- state grievances against crown (Declaration of Rights)- resolved to prepare militias- (response) Parliament declared the colonies to be in rebellion

- 1774- British ordered to arrest Sam Adams + John Hancock- march on Lexington- militias warned by Paul Revere -- block the progress of the troops - British continued to Concord -- attacked by militia- Troops retreat to Boston- start of the Revolutionary War

- 1744- Agreed to by delegates from Suffolk county, Massachusetts + approved by the First Continental- Nullify the Coercive Acts- closed royal courts- order taxes paid tocolonial gov (not royal gov)- prepare local militias

- 1776 - draft and sign Declaration of Independence,

- 1775- colonies final offer of peace to Britain- loyal if British gov address grievances (repealed the Coercive Acts -- end taxation w/o representation policies)- rejected by Parliament --> pass (1775) American Prohibitory Act (forbid trade w/ colonies)

- Common Sense (1776)
- encourage colonies to seek independence- spoke out against the unfair treatment of colonies by British gov- SIGNIFICANCE: turn public opinion in favor of Revolution

- French major general - aide colonies during the Rev. War. - He and Baron von Steuben (a Prussian general) -- 2 major foreign military experts who help train colonial armies

- 1777 - IMPORTANCE: turning point of war -- emboldened France to join war w/ America- capture of entire British army --> secure Northern American states from attacks out of Canada- prevent New England from being isolate

- site where Continental Army camp during the winter of 1777- ’78 - Washington chose site -- defend Continental Congress if necessary (then meeting in Pennsylvania after British capture of Philadelphia)

- British unable to suppress Revolution in north colonies--> campaigns in south colonies (unsuccessful)--> march back to New York (headquarters)- British commander Lord Cornwallis is trapped in Yorktown on Chesapeake Bay- troops wait for reinforcements- French navy (led by DeGrasse) block escape- Cornwallis surrender (1781)- IMPORTANCE: end major fighting in Rev. War

- Officers of Continental Army gone w/o pay- gov had no money after Rev. War- consider staging a coup + seize control of new gov- plotting stop when Washington refused to support plan

- powers (tax, regulate trade, draft troops) to the individual states- give federal gov. little power - couldn't keep country united- only success: settle western land claims w/ Northwest Ordinance- abandoned for Constitution

- Legislative (make laws) - Congress --> House of Rep + Senate- Executive (enforces laws) - President- Judicial (interprets laws) - Supreme Court